


The Ghost Of You Is Close To Me

by Pretty_Odd



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Depression, Kinda happy ending? I guess, M/M, Some Fluff, Suicidal Thoughts, ghost!tyler, sad fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-05
Updated: 2016-10-05
Packaged: 2018-08-19 16:33:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8217166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pretty_Odd/pseuds/Pretty_Odd
Summary: Josh's best friend was Tyler, they did everything together, eat, sleep, drink, you name it. They were like two perfect puzzle pieces that fit together, only....the puzzle wasn't complete, there was a massive problem in their relationship. Tyler was a ghost.





	

Josh's best friend was Tyler, they did everything together, eat, sleep, drink, you name it. They were like two perfect puzzle pieces that fit together, only....the puzzle wasn't complete, there was a massive problem in their relationship. Tyler was a ghost. Now people naturally thought Josh was insane and seeing things, for they were too scared to believe what he see's is real. People are frightened by things they don't understand. Only Josh could see him, only Josh could touch him, sometimes he doubted himself. Tyler couldn't really exist right? But then again, he might not exist, this could all be a mindless seven year old child's dream. Josh tends to stray away from those thoughts, thoughts like that could make a person insane. Maybe Josh is.

"Hey Joshie wake up!" Tyler sat at the foot of his best friends bed, clawing at the blankets covering Josh. The other boy curled up into a ball to keep himself warm when the coldness of the room hit his body. "Tyler, don't it's cold, I'm tired," Josh mumbled sleepily. "I'm not tired or cold," Tyler stated, looking proud of himself. "That's because you're a ghost, you don't feel the cold because you are cold, I wouldn't be surprised if I woke up one day with snow in my room because of you, and you don't get tired, you just -yawn- haunt people," Josh was starting to wake up now. Tyler huffed, then looked away, "I don't _haunt_ people, jeez, never thought of you as the person to stereotype someone." Josh just chuckles lightly, then gets up out of bed to stretch.

"You look like a cat," Tyler said randomly while watching his friend. "So? Cats are cute," Josh exclaimed. Tyler started blushing, if that was possible for a ghost. At that moment Josh's mom knocked on the door and walked in, barely giving Josh anytime to react. Tyler just sat still, no one but Josh saw him anyways, then Tyler had an idea. He walked over to Josh's mom and started dancing around and making silly faces. Josh giggled before remembering his mom couldn't actually see Tyler. "What's so funny Joshua?" she said, her voice was edging on the line of sweet and kind to irritated and annoyed.

"Ty- A funny thought just came to my head," Josh silently prayed his mom didn't pick up on the 'Ty' part of that sentence. "Tyler's not real," she rolled her eyes then continued, "we're going out for family time today-" "I'm not going," Josh butts in mid sentence, he really didn't want to go, he wanted to spend every minute of his life with Tyler. "But Joshua, you can't stay home alone," his mom says, trying to keep her cool. "I'm eighteen, and plus I won't be alone, I have _Tyler_ ," Josh said. His mom winced at the mention of Tyler. "Tyler doesn't exist, you're 'ghost friend' isn't here, there's no such thing," she growled. "WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU CALLING NOT REAL BITCH?!? I wish you weren't real," Tyler quietened down at the end of the sentence.

Josh laughed loudly, he couldn't stop himself, "me too Ty me too," Josh shut up once he saw his mother's glaring eyes. She clenched her jaw and walked out of his room, her fists closed into a ball, then she slammed his door shut. Josh jumped at the noise. "How the hell did that scare you?! All she did was close a goddamn door!" Tyler giggled. "Oh ha ha, you can't get scared, you're a ghost, nothing scares you," Josh muttered. Tyler stopped laughing, "that's not true." The boy with the red hair looked at his ghost friend, he was slightly transparent, "what do you mean?"

"Everybody is scared of something, just because I'm dead and I'm a ghost doesn't mean I can't be scared," Tyler explained. Josh nodded, understanding all of it, "what are you scared of?" Tyler hummed in thought for a moment, "well, I'm scared of being forgotten, I want people to remember me, for the good I did and I guess I'm scared of leaving people, leaving my old family and friends behind was hard, I can't go through that again." Josh looked at his ghost friend sadly, he rarely ever mentioned his past life, Josh didn't want to go too far into that. "What about you?" Tyler asked after a few minutes went by. Josh tilted his head to the side, "what?" "What are you scared of?" Tyler added.

Josh thought back to his childhood, when he was eight he was terrified of ghosts, but now his best friend is one of them. It's funny how your greatest fear can become your best friend. "I guess...I'm scared of losing you, Ty, you're my best friend, if I lost you my whole world would break," he whispered. Tyler smiled warmly at that, "really?" Josh nodded in confirmation, "really." The ghost boy leaped, or rather floated, across the room to hug Josh tightly. It was cold because of Tyler's touch, but Josh was warm enough for them. They stayed like that for a while, just holding onto each other.

Josh's bedroom door opened once again and they both reluctantly pulled apart, luckily it wasn't Josh's mom, this time it was his brother Jordan. His brother scanned the room for a moment, pausing before he talks, "Tyler again?" Unlike other people Jordan believed Tyler existed, even if he couldn't see him. Josh gave a quick nod. "Hey Tyler," Jordan said to what seemed like thin air to him. "Hey Jordy," Tyler smiled, glad to be able to talk to one other person besides from Josh. "He said 'Hey Jordy'," Josh said, because nobody else could hear Tyler. "Tyler, don't call me Jordy," he groaned, then he looked at his brother, "are you coming out with the family today?" Josh shifted uncomfortably on his bed, "no..." "It's okay bro, see you later then, bye Tyler," Jordan started pacing towards the door. "Bye _Jordy,_ " Tyler giggled. "Why do I feel like he just called me Jordy again?" Jordan said once he reached the door. Josh laughed loudly, "he did!"

Jordan shook his head, pretending to be disappointed, but still smiled, "bye guys." Once again it was just Tyler and Josh in the room. "Josh do you wanna go for a walk?" Tyler mumbled, looking out the window. Josh was taken aback, Tyler never suggested going outside, the word seemed almost foreign to him. "Okay but why?" the red haired boy said. The ghost didn't reply. "...come on then, let's go," Josh jumped off his bed and walked through the house. He didn't bother with breakfast, for a second Josh was scared because of how empty the house was, until he remembered everyone had already left for the day.

Tyler appeared out of thin air next to Josh once he was outside. "Holy crap! Don't do that!" Josh cried, he was lying on the ground after falling over from fright. Tyler giggled like he always does, "sorry Joshie." He held out a pale transparent hand to help Josh up. Across the street a bunch of kids walked by. "Hahaha guys look at this! He has an imaginary friend!" one of the cried. The others all started to laugh, immediately a guilty looked crossed Tyler's face. "Forget about them," Josh tried to assure Tyler that it was no big deal. "HE EVEN TALKS TO HIS IMAGINARY FRIEND!" another kid said, everyone laughed harder. Josh bit his lip, "let's just go." This was why Tyler and Josh never went outside...

They walked to a nearby park, there was still a slight morning mist over everything which made it all seem so spooky. "Ooooohhhoohhh," Tyler starting saying in a ghostly voice, he floated above Josh, "I'm Spooky Jim the ghost and I will haunt you, oooohhooooohhhh," he flew in circles around Josh who was laughing. "Oh I'm so scared!" Josh cried in a sarcastic tone, "and don't steal Spooky Jim, that's me." Tyler floated back down to ground level, "okay Spooky." Around them people stared at Josh, the park wasn't very full at this time of the day, but it was still awkward with every head turned their way. Josh looked down in embarrassment. "Sorry Josh..." Tyler looked pained, he brought this upon Josh.

The red haired boy walked passed the staring people, "what a strange boy" "poor thing probably has no friends" "he's such a weirdo" "he tells everyone his best friend is a ghost", words were whispered, but Josh heard everything and it hurt him. He wanted to cry, but he couldn't, not in front of Tyler, his best friend already felt guilty enough. They walked over to a bridge, then Tyler stopped and stared deeply into Josh's mocha brown eyes. Everything was quiet for a moment, all you could hear was the water current from the river below. "Tyler....?" the red haired boy didn't know what was happening.

"Okay so, I...I don't know how to say this...but...." tears started swelling up in Tyler's eyes. "Tyler whats wrong?" Josh started getting worried. "I...I..." Tyler choked on his words, "I'm sorry Josh, I'm ruining your life, everyone thinks you're crazy." Josh shook his head hard, "Tyler....no, don't say that, you're not ruining my life, you make it so much better!" He was scared where this conversation was leading to. "I don't want to see you in pain, I don't want to see everyone making fun of you, teasing you, giving you shit at every corner-" "Tyler." "-And this is all my fault Josh, it's my fault people call you insane," Tyler was crying. "Tyler don't say things like that please, I can deal with it," Josh was crying too. "Don't forget about me."

"TYLER!" Josh screamed into the cold morning air, "TYLER NO!" He looked around for his best friend, "no no no no," he started whimpering, he can't lose Tyler, not now, not the most important thing in his life. "TYLER!" he screamed again, there was no reply. Josh knew there is never going to be a reply, Tyler isn't going to come back. People looked at Josh, the strange boy is now even stranger. Screaming out for someone who was never there.

Was he never there?

Josh didn't want to believe it. He ran back home, Tyler is going to be there. He'll be there. He's always there. He got home, everything seemed too dark, it was cold, colder than Tyler's skin. Josh ran into his room, but it only confirmed what he knew. Tyler wasn't coming back. The red haired boy curled up on his bed, there was no warmth, no sense of comfort that Tyler always brought Josh. Just the endless darkness of his room, threatening to swallow him up, Josh was slowly drowning in misery, he was suffocating because he was missing Tyler, his oxygen, his water, his life. He was a fish out of water. A body without a soul, a person without a purpose. Josh was just an empty shell.

"You said, you were, were scared of leaving, you lied to me Tyler...YOU FUCKING LIED TO ME!" Josh screamed, his voice was already hoarse from screaming while down at the bridge. The last place he saw Tyler. "I...I won't forget you Tyler," Josh sobbed into his pillow, "I need you, why did you leave?" Josh understood Tyler left because he thought he was ruining his life, but Tyler didn't realize that by leaving him it didn't just ruin Josh's life, he destroyed it.

Time went by fast without Tyler, before he knew it, it was already nearly night. Josh hadn't eaten anything, the loss of Tyler kept him locked in his prison cell bedroom, but what's worse is that it kept him locked in his prison cell mind. Tyler was the reason Josh was able to push aside his suicidal and psychotic thoughts, he was the reason Josh was still anchored to the planet. But now the anchor is gone, he's a ship floating around see in a vicious storm, suicidal waves crashed into his mind, threatening to sink him at any moment. He was sinking alright.

"Tyler I need you!" Josh screamed. "Joshua!?!" his family were home. "Joshua what's wrong?" his mom and brother burst into the room, followed by his sisters and father. Josh didn't care that none of them except Jordan believed in Tyler, he just cried out, "Tyler left me!" Jordan looked hurt, he considered himself friends with the ghost boy, even though he never saw or heard him. "Oh Josh....maybe it's a good thing, Tyler was never here, this...ghost...never existed," Josh's mom tried to soothe him. Josh shoved her off him, "NO TYLER EXISTED AS MUCH AS ALL OF YOU!" He ran out of his room.

Streetlights flickered on and glowed a deep amber color, Josh ran even though every muscle in his body was telling him to stop, but he couldn't, not until he reached the bridge. The last place he saw Tyler. He looked around, there was nobody nearby, he looked down at the water below. "Tyler, come back right now," Josh tried to keep his voice steady. But as usual there was no reply, just the sound of the wind racing through the trees and the water below. "If you don't come back..." Josh climbed up onto the railing for the bridge, it was surprisingly easy to do so, you'd think they'd make it so that no one would be able to jump off. But then again who in their right mind would? Josh would. "If you don't come back right now, then it's simple, I'll join you." He jumped, time slowed, just like it always did when Tyler was around, he was with him now, probably tell him to stop, but it was too late.

 

**Epilogue**

 

Everyone was dressed black, silent tears fell as people watched the coffin lower into the ground. Last week his body was found, floating peacefully at the surface as bodies do. His family were horrified, unable to comprehend how or why Josh would do this. Jordan knew, he knew how much Tyler meant to Josh, he knew Josh joined Tyler in his world. Jordan hoped that they've found each other, that they're happy. A few hours passed, everyone left but Jordan. He knelt beside his brothers grave, "I love you Josh, don't ever forget that, because I won't forget you." Jordan stood up, "bye Josh." Then he looked at the grave directly next to Josh's, it was older and rundown, a few weeds grew in the cracks of it, the words were starting to fade but you could still read it;

_Here lies Tyler Joseph_

 


End file.
